C Spire has signed a contract with the city of Brandon to be the principal sponsor for all music concerts at the new, 8,300-seat outdoor amphitheater when it opens in the spring.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the agreement calls for the Mississippi-based diversified technology and telecommunications company to sponsor concerts at the facility as part of its C Spire Concert Series program. Brandon Mayor Butch Lee and the Board of Aldermen approved the agreement at a regular meeting.
“We’re excited about partnering with the city of Brandon at this new, high quality, fan-oriented music venue as part of our C Spire Concert Series program,” said Jim Richmond, vice president of Marketing for C Spire. “Our customers love music and this will ensure that we continue to connect with them in a meaningful way.”
Red Mountain Entertainment of Birmingham will handle bookings for the C Spire Concert Series program. Artists from a variety of music genres and backgrounds are expected to perform at the facility.
“We expect the venue to attract top-flight entertainment from all over the U.S. and internationally,” Richmond said.
The Brandon Amphitheater sits in the middle of a 250-acre park, The Quarry, near downtown Brandon that will feature a running, bike and nature trail system, a dog park, a new baseball park facility and other outdoor amenities. The amphitheater design and construction is patterned after several other successful music venues in the Southeast region.
“Brandon is pleased that C Spire, a company we have worked with for many years, has joined our efforts as the concert series sponsor,” said Lee. “We believe C Spire’s involvement will help enhance the Brandon Amphitheater.”
In recent years, C Spire has staged a series of highly successful outdoor music concerts in Madison County near their corporate offices featuring artists ranging from Darius Rucker and Miranda Lambert to Florida Georgia Line and Kenny Chesney.
The concerts have provided a major economic boost to the region over the last four years – generating over $3 million in spending by more than 35,000 country music fans who travel to the area from other parts of the state, the U.S. and overseas and stay at local hotels, shop at local businesses and dine in local restaurants.
Richmond said C Spire expects the partnership with Brandon to continue to bring more top-caliber entertainment to the region and state.
“We’re proud of our reputation in hosting some of the best music entertainment around and we’re excited to continue efforts to provide these types of premium quality of life experiences for residents and visitors,” Richmond said.
The Ridgeland-based technology company has been heavily involved in music for several years, designing an app and a program for emerging music artists in 2010 and forging sponsorship deals with major music venues in Mississippi and Alabama, including The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama.
